SIGNATURE PROGRAMS
While Aggies have participated in the Houston Pride Festival and Parade since its inception more than 40 years ago, June 2017 marked the first time that Texas A&M University was represented at Houston Pride in an official, university-sponsored capacity. Since 2017, Aggies, along with their friends and families, join the Texas A&M University Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer+ Center as we converge in Houston during the not-so-cold month of June, to participate in the events that Houston Pride has to offer.
Since 2014, the LGBTQ+ Pride Center at Texas A&M has celebrated LGBTQ+ Aggies and their allies at a Lavender Graduation ceremony held in their spring. The spring ceremony honors those graduating from Texas A&M University in the spring, summer, or fall of the current calendar year.
The Let’s Talk program is now online! CAPS will be providing a virtual space for LGBTQ+ students to process their experiences as they navigate identity, academics, and the challenges and uncertainties related to COVID-19. Please register for an informal consultation with one of our Let’s Talk counselors at https://caps.tamu.edu/diversity-inclusion/lets-talk-program/.
The Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) Let’s Talk program at the LGBTQ+ Pride Center provides LGBTQ+ students with a space to discuss issues of sexuality, gender identity, intersecting identities (e.g., race/ethnicity, citizenship status, religion, etc.), and other stressors (e.g., family, finances, relationships, etc.), as these concerns can impact student mental health and academic achievement.
Let’s Talk is an outreach initiative that meets and engages students in conversation in an environment that feels safe and empowering to them. Students can meet one-on-one with a counselor for brief, informal, and confidential consultations. If a student visits Let’s Talk and they require additional support, such as crisis services or counseling, or if they would benefit from additional CAPS services, the student will be referred to CAPS for further assessment, support and linkage to the appropriate services.
LGBTQ+ Awareness Week is an opportunity to educate the Texas A&M campus about LGBTQ+ issues as well as to recognize, honor, and celebrate sexual and affectional diversity and gender variance in our communities.
To celebrate, the LGBTQ+ Pride Center invites university organizations, departments, committees, and any person to provide programming for LGBTQ+ Awareness Week. Possible programs may include, but are not limited, to lectures, discussion panels, workshops, film screenings, displays, and performances.
October is LGBT History Month! First recognized in 1994 celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history and the history of the gay-rights and related civil-rights movements. LGBT History Month provides role models, builds community, and represents a civil rights statement about the contributions of the LGBT community. LGBT History Month is celebrated in October to coincide with National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11.
The purpose of the LGBTQ+ Pride Center’s Mentorship Program is to offer support and guidance to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning students at Texas A&M. Students are matched with a mentor based on academic and professional interests as well as personal interests and will meet with their mentor approximately once a month. Conversations between mentor and mentee can cover a range of topics including career and academic goals, relationships and family problems, transitioning to college, gender and sexuality, and LGBT issues that arise in collegiate and professional settings. For more information, please click here.
Since 2009, the Phyllis R. Frye Advocacy Award, sponsored by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,Transgender, & Queer+ Pride Center, has recognized work done in welcoming transgender faculty, students, and staff into the Aggie Family through the creation of safe spaces and the raising of dialogue surrounding transgender realities at the interpersonal and institutional level in the higher education setting. Award recipients are shining examples of real work done at Texas A&M towards the acceptance and nurturance of transgender faculty, staff, and students. Award recipients receive a monetary award of $50 and a commemorative item.
Nomination Process
Nominations may be submitted by any member of the University community (co-worker, supervisor, adviser, dean or department head, student). No self-nominations will be reviewed.
Nominations must be submitted online and include 1) a nomination letter from the nominator and 2) up to two additional letters of support.
Nomination statements, including specific examples, should describe the nominee’s eligibility for an award focused on Accountability, Climate, and Equity as outlined in the Texas A&M Diversity Plan, and how the nominee meets the specific award’s criteria as outlined in the Awards Categories section. Letters of support are submitted with the understanding that the individual or group is being nominated and should shed additional rationale as to why the nominee is an ideal candidate for the award. For faculty and staff nominees, greater consideration will be given to those individuals whose accomplishments are above and beyond standard job responsibilities.
For more information regarding the award process contact Dr. Tonya Driver, Director of the Department of Multicultural Services.
Selection Process
Review and selection of the Phyllis R. Frye Advocacy Award recipient will be conducted by a committee chaired by a representative from the LGBTQ+ Pride Center. Review, selection, and awards ceremony take place in the spring semester.
Award Recipients:
2019: Zachary Huebschman
2018: Dr. Iris Carrillo
2017: Dr. Krista May
2016: Hilary Park
2014: Judy LeUnes
2013: Rev. Dr. Dan De Leon
2012: Katy Stewart
2011: Lowell Kane
2010: Harriette Andreadis
2009: Dr. James Rosenheim
LGBTQ+ Pride Month is an opportunity to educate the Texas A&M community about LGBTQ+ issues as well as to recognize, honor, and celebrate sexual and affectional diversity and gender variance in our communities.
To celebrate, the LGBTQ+ Pride Center invites university organizations, departments, committees, and any person to provide programming for LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Possible programs may include, but are not limited to, lectures, discussion panels, workshops, film screenings, displays and performances.
The purpose of the LGBTQ+ Pride Center’s Pen Pal Program is for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexaul, pansexual, demisexual, and ally Aggie students to support each other. Pen Pals are matched based on academic, professional or personal interests and are encouraged to communicate approximately twice a month. Conversations between pen pals can cover a range of topics including career and academic goals, relationships and family problems, transitioning to social distancing, gender and sexuality, and LGBTQ+ issues that arise during the pandemic.
Join the LGBTQ+ Pride Center for Rainbow Relaxin' Days during finals week for snacks and fun activities to help you relax during finals!
This annual storytelling event features a unique collection and representation of experiences and coming out stories authored and performed by people in our community who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community or as straight or cisgender allies. It is a raw, inspiring, transformative, and intimate live event.
These stories include unique backgrounds and perspectives as well as periods of time—from people who came out this year to yesteryear. These stories run the gamut — humorous, poignant, serious, heartbreaking, embarrassing, creative, painful and hopeful. To learn more about the Coming Out Monologues, click here.